Captain Oya Stormqueen

Captain Oya Stormqueen's life began humbly, in an orphanage in Imzilut, the Okulari capital city. She doesn't remember her family, and she assumes they lost everything and died in the drought that turned the steppes into a giant dustbowl. Oya survived on just enough food in the orphanage, eventually sneaking out to talk passers-by out of a few coins for directions. She met Vadym on the street and they quickly became best friends, relying on each other for security and sanity. Oya had a knack for using light blades and calling thunder, and Vadym could talk to the wind and heal with a touch. They knew each other so well and fit together with absolute trust.

Life in Imzilut grinds those without wealth into hopeless skeletons over endless years, so the pair set out to seek their fortunes elsewhere. They headed east to follow Vadym's dreams of the sea. Oya just wanted a better life to match her ambition, so heading for the sea seemed as good a choice as any. They had many mishaps and adventures along the way, but they eventually made it to the coast in Dunhill.

Wandering the docks in cities offered nothing but starvation wages as deckhands on merchant ships, or the promise of a bloody death as marines boarding enemy vessels. Oya didn't see any chance for advancement unless they could lead people or take charge of a ship. They wandered the coast until they came across the Grey Rover docked in a secluded cove. Captain Pete offered them each a fair wage and a share of captured cargo, plus the chance to gain rank and lead sailors. Oya finally had the chance to take charge if she played her cards right.

It took her a couple of years to become one of Old Captain Pete's trusted officers. Vadym could calm storm winds and magically heal people, so he didn't need or care about rank. Oya had to prove her value to herself, to create her life out of the void her parents disappeared into. She had friends in the crew and on shore, including Qasira, the large black-skinned woman with the huge curved sword they fished out of the ocean after the storm passed a year after they joined the Grey Rover's crew. But she needed a tribe to lead.

And then 4 years ago, the fates came calling. Old Captain Pete led the crew to raid a remote storehouse close to Fellport. He said it only had two guards so they could clear it out quickly with no casualties. He didn't know about the two dozen mercenaries hired after word got out that people cased the storehouse. Pete dropped in the first round of crossbow fire. Vadym healed Pete and told Oya to head back to the ship. A couple of sailors joined them to cover the rest of the crew's escape. The mercenaries captured the four of them and delivered them to Fellport for trial.

Oya wanted to go back for her oldest and best friend, but she didn't want to risk the entire crew for her personal goals, nor could she command them. The crew broke into three main factions, each favoring a different officer to lead them in Pete's absence, so Oya had her hands full with political maneuvering on board the Grey Rover. Oya eventually became captain after a charm campaign against one faction and her and Qadira (Oya nicknamed her "Cutter" because that's what she did with her massive sword) physically "persuading" the other faction.

By the time the dust settled and she became Captain Oya Stormqueen, Old Pete hung from Execution Wharf in Fellport, and Vadym and the other two sailors rotted in prison. She managed to get messages to Vadym, but he contentedly served his two years and started a business in Fellport. She still feels guilty about leaving him behind that day, but Vadym has long since forgiven her. He invites her to settle in Fellport every time they see each other, but Oya still has much to prove to herself. She wants to expand her operation, but she has yet to find someone skilled, trustworthy, and loyal enough to captain additional ships for her fleet without backstabbing her. She knows movers and shakers along the coast between Fellport and Dunhill, doing political favors for people, especially when they need a ship or its cargo to disappear. She's not above kidnapping or execution, but she prefers to convince her enemies to become allies or at least useful contacts.

Oya usually wears her black hair in a long braid to keep it out of the way when fighting with her Captain's Cutlass. Her driftwood-grey studded leather armor lets her blend in with the ship, but her plumed hat marks her as someone important. She walks with a swagger like she owns the place, and she knows enough people to back that attitude up, calling in favors if she runs into serious trouble. Her dark eyes flash like storm clouds, and she parleys her reputation into victories without violence most of the time. She typically uses the Fog Gem she installed to cloak the Grey Rover, then silently appears next to her target and drops a shatter on their deck before politely suggesting they surrender to prevent further bloodshed.

Captain Oya Stormqueen
Okulari Human Sword Bard (Level 7) (Sailor Background; Elemental (Thunder) Adept Feat)
Str 10  Dex 14  Con 14  Int 12  Wis 8  Cha 18
Athletics +6, Nature +4, Perception +2, Performance +7, Persuasion +10

Part of T.W.Wombat's #City23 project. See the Fellport Index for all entries.